Tool tote

ABSTRACT

A tote for carrying items such as tools includes a center panel around which a bucket-type receptacle is located. Outer walls of the receptacle are integral with a bottom, which are integral with center panel walls that are attached to the center panel. The outer walls define an open top. The center panel extends to the open top and terminates in an ergonomic handle. A tool tote defined by a receptacle includes a bottom and an outer wall extending from the bottom. A center panel that extends through the bottom, divides the receptacle into two compartments, and terminates in a handle proximate the open top. A footing on the center portion prevents the panel from being pulled through the receptacle. An open-topped tool tote has an open top, a center panel that divides the tote in a longitudinal direction, and a handle at the upper edge of the center panel.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. 60/905,387, filed on Mar. 6, 2007, the contents ofwhich are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to devices for containing toolsand, more particularly, to a tote for transporting and storing tools.

BACKGROUND

In many industries, hand tools of various shapes and sizes are used toperform various tasks. These industries include building and roadconstruction, manufacturing, and maintenance such as those relating tothe servicing of the operating systems of buildings (e.g., HVAC systems,plumbing, and the like), heavy equipment (e.g., construction vehicles,railroad vehicles, and the like), aircraft, and industrialinfrastructure (e.g., sewer systems, pipelines, refinery equipment,mining equipment, and the like). Oftentimes the tools used in theseindustries are larger and more cumbersome than other conventionally usedhand tools. Storing, organizing, and transporting these tools in anefficient and timely fashion can allow for a user's unencumbered accessto the tools when needed, thereby facilitating the efficiency ofprocesses of performing service tasks. Accordingly, devices in whichtools are stored and carried can be deemed to be as important as thefunctions of the tools themselves.

Because of the variations in size, weight, and shape of tools, thedesign and configuration of a tool carrying device should be carefullyconsidered. When the tools for a particular industry are larger thanconventional hand tools, they sometimes do not fit practically in mostbag and box storage devices currently on the market. Also due to thelarger sizes, weights, and natures of these tools, the materialgenerally used for these bags, boxes, and sometimes buckets does notlend itself to the practical storage of the tools.

Typical storage devices include five gallon polymer buckets, such asthose that are left over from dry wall joint compound. Especially withregard to masonry applications, these buckets become free impromptu toolstorage containers for the more macro-sized hand tools such as lumphammers, large pipe wrenches, levering bars, stone and brick chisels,trowels, and accessories such as short sections of rebar to be driveninto the ground to stake out footings. Such tools and accessories aresometimes covered with dirt, concrete, or residual mortar and usuallynot cleaned after each use. This combination of unwanted debris and thesizes and weights of the tools would destroy a conventional tool bag orbox, and therefore the ubiquitous five gallon bucket has become aninexpensive choice for carrying tools in the field and on the jobsite.

An analysis of the performance of the five gallon bucket in organizing,carrying, and accommodating macro-sized tools reveals that the bucket isa handy but less than efficient device to accommodate the demands ofthese kinds of tools in real life day-to-day work routines, which areoften encountered under extreme conditions or harsh environments. Forexample, the shape of a typical five gallon bucket is cylindrical andtypically has a slight taper from the bottom up. While this is usuallybeneficial for dumping liquids, it generally undesirably allows fortipping and dumping when the bucket is loaded with long-handled tools.Furthermore, when the previous contents of the bucket were jointcompound or the like, a hard and/or slick surface is left behind, whichalso adds weight (often non-uniformly) to the sides of the bucket,thereby contributing to tipping and spills. Also, tools deposited in thebucket can slide around and become entangled with each other as thebucket is moved or transported.

The handle of a typical five gallon bucket is usually small diametersteel wire that attaches to the bucket via small holes in the rim andswings down on either side when not in use. This requires an unnecessarystep of groping retrieval each time the bucket needs to be lifted. Agrip is usually molded around the wire handle, this grip being the samehard polymer material from which the bucket is fabricated. The grip doesnot have sufficient diameter to form an ergonomic (or even comfortable)grip by which to move the bucket when loaded with tools, thereforemaking for a sometimes painful, awkward lift when the bucket is heavilyweighted with tools and accessories.

The inside of the bucket is open without any partitions or panels fortool handles to rest against therefore also causing tools toinadvertently slide around and making tools difficult to access andremove. Tool entanglements sometimes occur resulting in more tools beinglifted out of the bucket at one time than was intended. The result islost efficiency and aggravation.

The present invention takes into consideration the shortcomings of theuse of the five gallon bucket for storing and carrying macro-sized handtools and provides a better alternative and solutions to the problemsdescribed above.

Through a combination of design and specific material selection, thepresent invention would provide a more effective carrying platform forthese types of tools and would benefit those that use these types oftools to perform various tasks.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

In one aspect, the present invention resides in a tote for carryingitems such as tools or the like. This tote includes a center panelaround which a bucket-type receptacle is located. Outer walls of thereceptacle may be integral with a bottom, which may in turn be integralwith center panel walls that are attached to the center panel. The outerwalls define an open top. The center panel extends to or through theopen top and terminates in an ergonomic handle. The material of thereceptacle may be rubber or some other elastomer.

In another aspect, the present invention resides in a tool totesubstantially defined by a receptacle. The receptacle includes a bottomand an outer wall extending from the bottom. A center portion includes apanel that extends through the bottom, divides the receptacle into twocompartments, and terminates in a handle proximate the open top. Afooting on the center portion prevents the panel from being pulledthrough the receptacle.

In another aspect, the present invention resides in an open-topped tooltote. This tool tote has an open top, a center panel that divides thetote in a longitudinal direction, and a handle at the upper edge of thecenter panel.

In any of the above-described aspects of the present invention, at leastsome of the inner surfaces of the totes are coated with rubber or arubber-like material or include rubber or a rubber material. The gripportions of the handles (which are preferably ergonomic in design) alsoinclude rubber or rubber materials. Thus, tough, durable characteristicsare combined with the benefit of functional ergonomic design to improveon the shortcomings of tool-carrying devices of the prior art,particularly the five gallon bucket. The rubber or rubber material usedis flexible as well as durable and exhibits a considerable degree offunctionality over other materials (e.g., fabric, plastic, and steel)used for tool-carrying devices. The material stands up to wear thatresults from dropping and removing heavier tools that are covered withdirt, cement, or oil. Not being as hard and slick as the polymersurfaces of the typical five gallon bucket, the material helps toprevent tools in the tote from sliding and entangling with other tools.Also, when the material is deposited on the outside of the tote, tippingand dumping of the tote contents is reduced, particularly due to a more“grippy” bottom. Additionally, in totes having rectangular shapes withrounded corners, even more stability is provided. This is especiallyuseful during transportation, for example, when the tote is loaded withtools and placed unsecured in the back of a truck or wagon.

Through a combination of the ergonomic design of the handle and theversatile characteristics of the durable rubber material, the presentinvention makes for a better tool-carrying device with regard tomacro-sized tools than tool-carrying devices of the prior art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a tool tote, of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the tool tote.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the tool tote.

FIG. 4 is a partial view of the bottom of the tool tote.

FIG. 5 is a front view of the tool tote.

FIG. 6 is a side view of the tool tote.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In FIG. 1, a tool tote of the present invention is designated generallyby the reference numeral 10 and is hereinafter referred to as “tote 10.”Tote 10 is a receptacle having a bottom 12, at least one outside surfacethat defines an outer wall 14 that extends substantially perpendicularlyfrom a peripheral edge of the bottom and defines an open top 16, acenter panel 20 extending substantially perpendicularly from the insidesurface of the bottom, and a handle 22. An upper end of the center panel20 terminates in the handle 22, which is positioned near or at the opentop 16 a suitable distance above the top edges of the outer wall 14 toallow the tote 10 to be carried comfortably. Although the tote 10 isespecially adapted for the carrying of tools, the present invention isnot limited in this regard and other devices, articles, and/or materialsmay be transported using the tote.

As is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the center panel 20 extends thesubstantial length of the tote 10. Horizontally-opposed edges of thecenter panel 20 may be displaced from (as shown), contiguous with, orattached to inner surfaces of the outer walls 14.

Referring particularly to FIG. 2, the lower end of the center panel 20includes a footing 26 that forms a portion of the bottom 12. The centerpanel 20 itself is lined on each side with center panel walls 30. Thesecenter panel walls 30 are contiguous with the bottom 12 and the outerwall(s) 14. A draft angle 32 is provided by the center panel walls 30 oneach side of the center panel 20. As used herein, the draft angle 32refers to the amount of incline relative to a vertical plane takenthrough the tote 10. This vertical plane taken through the center of thetote 10 is coincident with the center panel 20. The draft angles 32 oneach side of the center panel 20 are typically between about 1 degree toabout 2 degrees. The present invention is not limited in this regard,however, as the draft angle may be less than 1 degree or more than 2degrees. In some embodiments, the draft angle 32 may be zero degrees(i.e., the center panel walls 30 may be parallel to the center panel20).

Furthermore, a draft angle 34 (still relative to a vertical plane takenthrough the tote 10) of the inner surface of each outer wall 14 is about3 degrees. The present invention is also not limited in this regard, asthe draft angles of the inner surfaces of each outer wall 14 may be lessthan about 3 degrees (including zero degrees) or greater than about 3degrees. For example, the draft angles 34 of the inner surfaces of eachouter wall 14 may be about 1 degree to about 5 degrees.

The center panel walls 30 are attached to the center panel 20 usingrivets 36. The attachment means is not limited to the use of rivets 36,however, as other fasteners may be used. Such fasteners include, but arenot limited to, bolts, screws, stitching, adhesives, welds, and thelike.

As is shown in FIG. 3, the positioning of the center panel 20 (and thecenter panel walls 30) generally divides the space inside the tote 10into two longitudinally-positioned compartments of equal volume. Severaladditional ancillary panels 38 extend from the sides of the center panelwalls 30 to divide each longitudinally-positioned compartment intosmaller compartments for the segregation of tools, which assists inorganizing and supporting the tools in vertical positions, therebyaiding in identifying and accessing the tools. The edges of theseancillary panels 38 are suitably attached to the inside surfaces of thetote 10 as needed to provide structural integrity to the walls thatdefine the smaller compartments. Although three larger compartments areillustrated on one side of the center panel 20 and four smallercompartments are illustrated on the other side of the center panel, thepresent invention is not limited in this regard as thelongitudinally-positioned compartments may be divided into any number ofsmaller compartments. Additionally, one or both of thelongitudinally-positioned compartments may not be divided into smallercompartments, thereby providing a greater amount of unobstructed spacealong one or both sides of the center panel 20.

Referring back to both FIGS. 2 and 3, the handle 22 is located at themidpoint of the upper edge of the center panel 20. Thus, the handle 22is centered over the open top 16 relative to the length and width of thetote 10, thereby providing substantially symmetrical balance to the totewhen the tote is carried by the handle and when tools or the like aresubstantially evenly distributed (weight-wise) in the tote.

As is shown in FIG. 4, the bottom 12 is formed around the footing 26 ofthe center panel 20. The bottom 12, as well as the center panel walls 30and the outer walls 14, may be one continuous member through which thecenter panel 20 is inserted and the center panel walls attached. Thebottom 12 and the footing 26 may be attached using any suitable means,for example, adhesives, welding, or the like, to provide structuralintegrity and rigidity to the tote 10. In the alternative, in someembodiments the bottom 12 and the footing 26 may not be attached so thatthe footing “floats” relative to the bottom, which thereby provides acertain degree of flexibility to the tote 10. In any embodiment, thebottom 12 (particularly along the edges thereof) includes channels,grooves, dimples, scoops, reliefs, or some other form of texturing(shown at 40) to provide a non-skid attribute to the tote 10.

One exemplary material having suitable functional characteristics fromwhich the bottom 12, the center panel walls 30, and the outer walls 14may be formed is rubber. The present invention is not limited to thebottom 12, the center panel walls 30, and the outer walls 14 beingformed of rubber, however, as these surfaces may be coated with a rubberor rubber-like compound. There are various rubber compounds on themarket, and one category currently used is a form of “recycled” rubbercompound. This recycled rubber compound is residual rubber left overfrom tire manufacturing and is capable of being reconfigured into shapesfor use in the tote 10. This recycled rubber compound also has thecharacteristics of being tough, durable, flexible, and substantiallyunaffected by temperature changes and exposure to ultraviolet radiation,thereby making the compound usable in devices for use in extremeenvironments.

The center panel 20 including the footing 26 and the handle 22, on theother hand, may be fabricated from a material such as a thermosettingpolymer or the like.

As is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the handle 22 is defined by the upper edgeof the center panel 20 and is integral therewith. This handle 22 isconfigured to include a grip 44 that is centered over the tote 10 tofacilitate dispersing a load in the tote 10 when the tote is carried bya user. The grip 44 is defined in part by an aperture 46 formed, molded,or otherwise disposed in the handle 22 by which the user can grasp andcarry the tote 10. The portions of the grip 44 around the aperture 46are ergonomically designed to provide for easier and comfortablecarrying of the tote 10. Various configurations may be used to employthe ergonomic designs of the grip 44. Such configurations include, butare not limited to, over-molding a rubber or other soft material to thecenter panel 20 in the proximity of the aperture 46 (such material beingdeposited to have a width W and length L suitable for comfortablecarrying), configuring the grip 44 to have indentations or grooves toaccommodate the fingers of the user when the tote 10 is carried, and thelike.

Although this invention has been shown and described with respect to thedetailed embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those of skill inthe art that various changes may be made and equivalents may besubstituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of theinvention. In addition, modifications may be made to adapt a particularsituation or material to the teachings of the invention withoutdeparting from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intendedthat the invention not be limited to the particular embodimentsdisclosed in the above detailed description, but that the invention willinclude all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.

1. A device for containing tools, said device comprising: a receptacle,comprising, a bottom, and at least one outer wall extending from aperipheral edge of said bottom to define an interior volume of saidreceptacle bounded by said bottom and said at least one outer wall andhaving an open top; a center panel extending from said bottom andthrough an interior portion of said receptacle to substantially bisectsaid interior volume of said receptacle into two compartments; and ahandle located at a top edge of said center panel and extendinglongitudinally along a length of said receptacle.
 2. The device of claim1, wherein at least one side panel extends from said center panel todivide one or more of the bisections of said interior volume of saidreceptacle into separate compartments.
 3. The device of claim 2, whereinsaid at least one side panel is attached to an inner surface of said atleast one outer wall.
 4. The device of claim 1, further comprising acenter panel wall disposed on each side of said center panel, whereineach of said center panel walls is integral with said bottom.
 5. Thedevice of claim 4, wherein each of said center panel walls is attachedto said center panel using rivets.
 6. The device of claim 4, whereineach of said center panel walls includes a draft angle of between about1 degree and about 2 degrees.
 7. The device of claim 1, wherein saidhandle includes a grip centered over said open top.
 8. The device ofclaim 7, wherein said grip is defined by an aperture extending throughsaid handle and is ergonomic.
 9. The device of claim 1, wherein an innersurface of said outer wall includes a draft angle of between about 1degree to about 5 degrees.
 10. The device of claim 1, wherein at leastone of the surfaces defining said interior volume of said receptacle isrubber.
 11. A tool tote, comprising: a receptacle, comprising, a bottomhaving an opening therein, and at least one outer wall extending from aperipheral edge of said bottom to define an interior volume of saidreceptacle bounded by said bottom and said at least one outer wall andhaving an open top; a center portion defined by a footing and a panelextending from an edge thereof, said panel being inserted through saidopening in said bottom such that said footing is positioned on an outersurface of said bottom and said panel extends through an interiorportion of said receptacle to substantially bisect said interior volumeof said receptacle into two compartments; and a handle located at a topedge of said center panel and extending longitudinally along a length ofsaid receptacle.
 12. The tool tote of claim 11, wherein at least oneancillary panel extends from said panel to divide at least one of saidtwo compartments.
 13. The tool tote of claim 11, further comprising acenter panel wall disposed on each side of said panel of said centerportion, wherein each of said center panel walls is integral with saidbottom.
 14. The tool tote of claim 11, wherein said handle includes anergonomic grip attached thereto.
 15. The tool tote of claim 14, whereinsaid ergonomic grip is defined by an aperture located in said centerportion and includes a material disposed at the periphery of saidaperture on at least one side of said center portion.
 16. The tool toteof claim 11, wherein a surface of said interior volume of saidreceptacle is a rubber material.
 17. The tool tote of claim 11, whereinsaid center portion is a thermosetting polymer.
 18. An open-topped tooltote, comprising: a receptacle having an open top; a center paneldividing said receptacle in a longitudinal direction; a handle mountedat an upper edge of said center panel and proximate said open top;wherein an inner surface of said receptacle includes a rubber materialdeposited thereon.
 19. The open-topped tool tote of claim 18, wherein abottom surface of said receptacle is substantially rectangular in shapeand includes rounded corners.
 20. The open-topped tool tote of claim 18,wherein a bottom surface of said receptacle includes texturing on anoutside surface thereof to provide a non-skid attribute to said tote.21. The open-topped tool tote of claim 18, wherein said handle includesan ergonomic grip.
 22. The open-topped tool tote of claim 18, wherein aninner surface of said receptacle is rubber.
 23. The open-topped tooltote of claim 18, wherein an outer surface of a bottom of saidreceptacle is rubber.
 24. The open-topped tool tote of claim 18, whereinsaid center panel is inserted through a bottom surface of saidreceptacle.
 25. The open-topped tool tote of claim 24, furthercomprising walls attached to said center panel, said walls beingintegral with said inner surface of said receptacle.